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Ford Sailors are completing walkthroughs, getting signatures from departmental representatives, and gaining knowledge to earn their Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist (EAWS) pin.
The EAWS qualification is a Naval tradition that signifies a competent knowledge of Naval aviation warfare and is a requirement for air-rate Sailors on applicable platforms to earn the EAWS pin as their primary warfare device.
The aviation warfare community has program coordinators and designated signers responsible for the training and qualification of Ford Sailors.
“The EAWS program allows for Sailors in all paygrades to demonstrate requisite knowledge of mission capabilities and heritage of air-capable platforms,” said Senior Chief Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) Maurice Bonham, Ford’s command aviation warfare lead coordinator. “They are able to earn the privilege of wearing the EAWS pin.”
Sailors must achieve prerequisites based on their paygrade, such as damage control and maintenance material management to begin the program. When those prerequisites are met and the EAWS qualification booklets are issued, it is the Sailor’s responsibility to seek out training and walkthroughs for the respective departments.
“[On the flight deck], I was able to safely observe and receive verbal guidance on just about every piece of equipment during my walkthroughs,” said Personnel Specialist 1st Class Laterrei Holmes, one of the first Sailors to earn their EAWS pin aboard Ford. “The air department personnel were eager to show me what exactly it was that they did and seemed excited that I was taking the time to learn the importance of their jobs.”
Ford’s aviation warfare program allows Sailors the opportunity to learn jobs other than their own and observe their daily operations.
Aviation warfare qualified Sailors know the basic operations of each of the covered departments well enough to demonstrate a working knowledge with a written test and an oral board. During the oral board, representatives from each department will ask the Sailors a multitude of questions to judge their level of knowledge.
“Sailors need be dedicated to really learn so [EAWS] can benefit them in the long run,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) 1st Class Chaonan Tao, one of Ford’s command aviation warfare coordinators. “Don’t just pursue the signature [for the EAWS qualification book], pursue the knowledge behind that signature.”
Ford Sailors are given certain timeframes to complete the program and test. For paygrades E-1 through E-4, they have 30 months onboard, and for E-5 through E-9, they have 18 months onboard.
“I take pride in knowing that I took the time to learn about this ship and its capabilities,” said Holmes. “It’s given me an enhanced sense of pride within Ford.”
| Date Taken: | 10.07.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 11.13.2017 10:30 |
| Story ID: | 255102 |
| Location: | AT SEA |
| Web Views: | 119 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, USS Gerald R. Ford’s Enlisted Aviation Warfare Program, by PO2 Kiana Raines, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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